Postal Service Is Nearing Default as Losses Mount

[Iron_Lion]

This would suck, say what you want about USPS but I have noticed they are faster than UPS ground. UPS usually always takes the full 5-7 days to get deliveries from UPS going cross country or even mid way, USPS on the other hand is cheaper and their basic shipping usually gets here in 3-4 days. Even international stuff gets to me quicker with USPS vs UPS.

 

[BigDawg]

the usps flat-rate service is a good deal... quick delivery for the price.

 

[headiez247]

*fixed

No. Unless you are cool with showing them ID, don't use UPS.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...-ids-from-customers-who-want-to-ship-anything

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

The folks who manage the usps don't try to improve its efficiency, at all, they are too complacent, they know they will never get fired or take a pay cut if they don't.

USPS has a no layoff provision in their contract. But part of union function is to thwart default pay cuts. Less unions, we wouldn't have had a middle class. Even in the heyday of unions, the average exec made 20x the average wage. Now the average exec makes 400x the average wage. That's a 20:1 swing.

I'm happy you're professionally and financially successful, Sam the Caveman. But that 20x disparity over the last 30+ years has depressed our collective purchasing power. IMO, one shouldn't get a free ride but 400:1 disparity has the opposite effect.

In certain parts of my city, they still deliver the mail on foot, door to door, yup, in 2011. Why haven't they made folks put mailboxes up? Cause they don't care about efficiency and improving. And even more efficient than mailboxes would be to have a centralized location where everyone gets their mail, like a mini post office for each neighborhood, except its just a bunch of boxes, like apartment complexes have.

Have you ever checked out how they determine that walk delivery is actually more cost effective than truck? With even small pockets of dense population, it's cheaper to walk than to stop a truck at ever mailbox. Many walkers drive between population-dense stops. I know walking doesn't sound high-tech. But if driving costs more, they might walk instead.

USPS can't slap it's ass w/o Congress mandating it. But the postmaster can work with the committee. If you read the article, the postmaster is lobbying to break the no-layoff provision and tens of thousands more will be laid off through attrition. 3700 post offices will be closed and Saturday delivery may be a thing of the past. That's kinda tough for small business owners who depend on Saturday delivery at an affordable cost.

The post office in my neighborhood is the shittiest looking place in town because they don't mow the yard but once or twice every couple of months, and when they do, they don't edge or weedeat and the trees are so ugly looking because they never trim the lower branches. The city won't say anything to them because a federal owned property is outside of their jurisdiction, but if a homeowner mows his yard like the post office does, they will mow it for you and add that to your water bill.

That's the rock in the hard place. The post office could manage those aspects but the bottom line would be bigger. My post office was built in the 60s. It isn't that great looking but it doesn't adversely affect my property value. Might even do the opposite.

 

[h^2 O]

fuck em, they lost my weed one time.

 

[mad librettist]

my post office looks like ass but has better service than the UPS and Fedex facilities where you go if you miss your package 3 times.

 

[big ballin 88]

It takes UPS or FedEx 2x the length of time to go across the nation, not to mention they are much cheaper. I always prefer USPS, especially for items where privacy is a concern. Fedex and UPS have held my packages, where as USPS lets everything fly and deliver it to my door heavy rain or tropical heat.....Flat rate boxes are the chit....

 

[Sam the Caveman]

USPS has a no layoff provision in their contract. But part of union function is to thwart default pay cuts. Less unions, we wouldn't have had a middle class. Even in the heyday of unions, the average exec made 20x the average wage. Now the average exec makes 400x the average wage. That's a 20:1 swing.

I'm happy you're professionally and financially successful, Sam the Caveman. But that 20x disparity over the last 30+ years has depressed our collective purchasing power. IMO, one shouldn't get a free ride but 400:1 disparity has the opposite effect.

I'm not totally against unions or anything, I'm just saying the management hasn't put enough heat on the lower ranks to be more efficient. Is that against union rules or something, I don't know anything about unions. There are none where I'm at, except ups and usps.

Have you ever checked out how they determine that walk delivery is actually more cost effective than truck? With even small pockets of dense population, it's cheaper to walk than to stop a truck at ever mailbox. Many walkers drive between population-dense stops. I know walking doesn't sound high-tech. But if driving costs more, they might walk instead.[/quote]

In some areas of congestion it is more effective, but the neighborhoods I'm talking about, the lots are 3/4 to 1 acre per house! The neighborhood I live in has smaller lots than that and we all have mailboxes by the street.

Its so late in the game for them to start making efficiency changes since they are deep in the red, and thats why they need special permission to layoff postal workers. If they would have focused on improving efficiency years ago they wouldn't have to layoff workers with jobs, all they would need is attrition.

 

[BiG H3rB Tr3E]

No. Unless you are cool with showing them ID, don't use UPS.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way...-ids-from-customers-who-want-to-ship-anything

just shipped a package wednesday... they didnt ask for shit

 

[devilgoob]

I hate how the USPS said they had it straight and wouldn't even have to starting retiring people early because of their financial situation, but now this.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

I see what you mean Sam, that's lots of walking. Those poor bastards are walking themselves out of a job. I realize services need appropriate management and USPS is forever making budget headlines.

If I'm not mistaken, it's zoning or local planning that determines delivery restrictions. But your right, if we're gonna have it [it's] got to work.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

What are you talking about, nugghead? USPS doesn't sell stock, they can't pay dividends. Independently operated franchisors? You mean like Mailboxes Etc? They nor others are affiliated with USPS in a franchise sense.

Let it go out of business? The postal service was mandated by the Constitution. The founding fathers be disappointed in your patriotism.

I was wondering when someone was going to mention the fact that the usps was mandated by the constitution and will not be shut down unless the government shuts down.

That NY times journalist is a fucking moron. If congress shut down the post office it is really really time to kill them. Congress would literally be raided by the national guard, and removed from power because there job is to protect us from enemies domestic and foreign.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

I want to know what Gypsy and Clarence have to say about how this would affect them and sending seeds to the US. How would they feel about using UPS and/or FedEx? Being so involved in the shipping business, they would have a perspective much more informed than most.

 

[igrowone]

I was wondering when someone was going to mention the fact that the usps was mandated by the constitution and will not be shut down unless the government shuts down.

That NY times journalist is a fucking moron. If congress shut down the post office it is really really time to kill them. Congress would literally be raided by the national guard, and removed from power because there job is to protect us from enemies domestic and foreign.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Postal_Service

yeah, it's simply can't happen in any realistic scenario - short of complete government shutdown
or a constitutional change, which require 2/3 of the states, if memory serves

 

[Wiggs Dannyboy]

Don't forget the "Postal Reauthorization Act" or whatever it was called back in the 70's, that changed shit around, they might do something along those lines. I don't know what they did in that, let me go get some info...

Here is the wiki page regarding the 1970 Postal Reorganization Act:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postal_Reorganization_Act

Slim info on the page, but what it does mention indicates fairly substantial changes made. It doesn't indicate what was required to make the changes, might have been just a majority vote in congress?

Here is a website link that has the actual document, if anyone cares to read how the USPS was changed:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/49061423/Postal-Reorganization-Act-1970

 

[igrowone]

i think your original post title is right on, default, default is not necessarily the end of the USPS
i don't think default will happen, some deal will be cut, but that will happen at the 11th hour, when other deals get slithered through as part of it
but everyone is relieved the post office is still open, so the other crap is noticed less

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

E-commerce and information aren't the only things that hurt the postal service. Their workforce waxes and wanes with the economy. And when they've got a labor heavy workforce, attrition can come in the form of not renewing rural carrier contracts. Rural carriers aren't collectively unionized, they're like surplus employees.

 

[dagnabit]

the debate over postal services and the extent to which they are mandated is as old as the postal clause(even older)

some good reads..

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/article01/38.html#2

http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/postal-service


i learned that the recipient payed postage originally.

 

[SOTF420]

I don't trust any of these govt installations they are all too God damn nosy and yes big brother is watching your ass and keeping track of your shit and what you do.

When you send a letter with a money order to buy stuff from a growstore for instance they track that address you better bet your ass they know what that address is and why mails goes there and they can see what is inside too if they want, even read it. All these types of addresses are on the blacklist, that computer on the mail conveyor belt scans in that address and they know what the hell is going on there is just so much of it going on they don't have the resources to follow up on the majority of it. Sorry not trying to noid anyone out but you just don't have privacy anymore I'm afraid so fuck them and their big brother bullshit. This country is a mess right now and our freedoms & liberty are slipping away by the moment it's a sad state of affairs and I love my country very much.

Don't trust the damn FEDex or UPS either they don't know how to mind their own fucking business anymore. I'll send email Christmas cards I guess and if I need to deliver presents I will get in the fucking car.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Wouldn't it be a trip if folks who fear government actually vote into office the ideologies they should fear?